


Raven's Eye

by Christianity_coffee_and_cigarettes



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, I promise!, Magical Murder Mystery, Rating may change as the story continues, Will add more tags as the story progresses!, if Star Wars was in fancy shmancy upstate New York, look for that, more characters are coming in, resort au, same with side pairings, town legends, when the ghost stories are (maybe) true, will add them as they are introduced
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-13 04:48:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20168404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Christianity_coffee_and_cigarettes/pseuds/Christianity_coffee_and_cigarettes
Summary: The local legends around the resort in upstate New York are an open secret; news to the tourists and tired ghost stories to everyone else.  Mysterious disappearances and rumors of magic abound.  But Rey comes from Arizona to the resort just to work, completely ignorant of the stories.   She's about to find out, and learn just how serious the true magic of the resort is, and how the shadow that was cast so long ago lingers.





	Raven's Eye

**Chautauqua Resort, New York State, 1921**

“Go, go, go, go! Padme, get out of here before sundown!”

Padme was running towards Anakin with abandon, her shoes clacking furiously against the stoned road. 

“I won’t leave you, Anakin!”

Anakin stopped and turned at the edge of the forest. Padme, panting, caught up with him and drew near to him. 

“Padme, it’s not safe for you here. Not now. You _know_ that!” Willing himself to become calm, for Padme, just for a moment, Anakin slowly breathed out. “Everything will be fine. I’m going to _protect _you. I always have.” 

“Anakin, _I_ need to protect _you!_ I can’t follow you once you get past the river, and I don’t want to lose you. Please, just leave with me, and we can raise our children in peace, far, far away. We can go to New York, or Paris, or some farm town, for all I care! Just come away with me.”

Padme cupped his cheek, her eyes begging him to listen to her. Anakin paused, looking back at her as though staining an image of this moment forever in his mind. Then he threw her over his shoulder, Padme’s black party dress popping beads everywhere as she thrashed about and shrieked in protest. As soon as they got to the hotel, Anakin set her down gently and kissed her. 

“I love you more than anything, Padme.”

Padme drew even nearer and clung tightly to him.

“Don’t go, Anakin,” Padme pleaded. “We can run far away where no one can hurt us. We’ll be fine if we’re together.”

“I have to go,” Anakin sighed. “I’m doing this for us. For our children. I’ll be back, darling. I promise.”

He winked out of existence.

“NO, Anakin! Come back!”

But Anakin was gone.

* * * * *

**Scottsdale, Arizona, 2019**

Rey looked through the internet. She needed a summer job, and although she had applied for about a hundred jobs, she hadn’t heard back from any of them.

“What’s this?” she mused absently, tired of staring at a computer. “A resort. Hmm. A hotel. Lodging. Free meals. I’ll take it.”

Rey put in her application and moved on to the next job posting. A few days later, a woman with a raspy voice, the product of what sounded like forty years of chain smoking, called.

“Is this Rey?”

“Yes,” Rey replied. “Who is this?”

“This is Maz, from the Presbyterian House in Chautauqua, New York. You applied for a job as a maid here for the summer. You want it?”

“Yes,” Rey said. _Finally. _“That should work.”

“Excellent. I need you here next week. Any questions?”

“Yes,” said Rey. “How do you pronounce the resort’s name? It’s . . . a little weird-sounding.”

Maz’s laugh was like a bark. “It’s a mouthful; even more so on paper. It’s pronounced ‘Ssh-ow-taw-qua.’ You might have researched it, but the resort is basically a fancy adult summer camp. Speakers and musicians and all kinds of performers come and put on shows. You’ll see when you get here; there’s a lot to do. And by the way, I know “Presbyterian House” is a funny name for a hotel, but it’s tradition here for the hotels to be named after different denominations.”

“Wow,” Rey said. “That’s . . . a lot.” 

“Oh, it sure is, honey. You’ll see. Now, I see you live in Arizona. How are you going to get here in time?”

“I’ll drive. I’ve got a hunk of junk, but I’ll make it,” said Rey. “It’ll take a couple of days or so to drive to New York, but I’ll be there.”

“Great. Be here by next Wednesday. And get a rain jacket and a few warmer clothes before you come here. I know it’s hot down in Arizona, but here in upstate New York we have some thunderstorms during the summer.”

“Got it. Anything else?” 

Maz paused, as though she was reluctant to say something. “No. No, nothing else.”

Rey hung up and breathed a sigh of relief. She finally had a place to go, and she wouldn’t have to even pay room and board. Finally, something was going right.

* * * * *

**Jamestown, New York, 1999**

“You know about Chautauqua, right? Those murders.”

Ben and Hux were on the swing set after school, swinging as high as they could.

“Maybe. Who cares?”

Hux sneered. “_Sure _you do. Well, anyway, if you don’t want me to tell you . . .”

“Just spit it out so you can stop getting on my nerves, loser,” said Ben, secretly curious.

“Fine!” Hux snapped. “I hope you know that I don’t _have _to tell you this. But you wanna know, I can tell.

“So, the thing about the Chautauqua murders is, they never found the bodies, right? That’s cuz they were stolen.”

“_Stolen?_ Come on, Hux,” said Ben, slowing down on his swing. “That’s crazy and creepy and totally not real.”

“It’s true! Now just shut up and listen, Ben.”

Ben grumbled, but he let Hux go on.

“_So, _they never found the bodies. So, where did they go, right? No bodies, so it’s not like they could send anyone to jail. Anyway, the people back then said it was magic.”

“_Sure_.”

“You gonna shut up or not, Ben?”

“Fine, go.”

“So, of course the cops were never going to believe that. But they say that around that river, there was a cave that only appeared when a magical person was around, and they could make it come up. Right out of nowhere. They say that it was someone magic that took those people, and they murdered them down in that cave.”

“I bet the murderer cast weird zombie spells on their bodies!”

“They were never found again, Ben. What’s the point of a zombie army if you don’t use them?”

“All right, fine. Then the murderer was a cannibal and he ate them one by one. I bet he made them watch when he ate a dead body!”

“You are disgusting, Ben Solo. I’m gonna tell your mama.”

“No, you won’t! You’re a jerk, not a snitch!”

“_You’re _the jerk,” muttered Hux, fully aware that Ben was right.

“Whatever,” said Ben. “You stole that story from some stupid sixth-grader. I bet it was Gwen, huh? I know you like her.”

“No, I didn’t!” Hux exclaimed, not answering the bit about Gwen. “I heard it from my grandpa! He would know. He was there!”

“Well that’s even crazier than some sixth-grader’s story,” sneered Ben. “I don’t trust a word he says anyway. He’s senile.”

Hux jumped off the swing and shoved Ben on the ground.

“Hey—”

“Don’t you EVER talk about my grandpa again!” 

Ben looked on, incredulous. 

“Fine!” he yelled.

A tense silence reverberated between the two boys.

“Sorry,” Ben muttered.

Hux’s eyes were trained on the ground, but Ben saw him nod slightly.

“Let’s go,” Hux said softly, and the boys trailed on home.

* * * * *

**Scottsdale, Arizona to Chautauqua Resort, New York State, 2019**

Rey had spent the week fixing her car. She had relinquished her apartment, sold her extra junk, and on Tuesday she’d packed and filled up her tank. _Ready to go._

Rey drove for hours on the road, spending the night in motels and speeding the next mornings, impatient to get to New York. 

When she finally approached the gates, she was exhausted. She slowed down and drove up to a man sitting guard.

“You got a pass?” he grunted.

“Not with me. I’m here to work at the Presbyterian House for the summer,” said Rey. The guard raised an eyebrow at her, not saying anything. Getting defensive, she said, “Maz didn’t tell me anything about a pass.”

“Oh, Maz. Okay, she would have left your pass up here.”

The guard left, leaving Rey waiting, still somewhat annoyed. She looked around, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. A tiny, tinkling ring, like the sound of windchimes, turned her head. There weren’t any kids in sight, but something sparkled as it passed her. Something clearly defined. She paused. _Strange. _Rey looked closer, but couldn’t see anything more. She swore she’d seen a pair of wings, as small as a butterfly’s, but longer, transparent and glittering. 

_Just a trick of the light. _Rey reprimanded herself. _Seeing things that aren’t there. Stupid. _

“All right! Got it here.” 

Rey squeaked, startled. _Idiot. Pay attention. _

When the guard gave her a funny look, she stared aggressively at him, angry that she was caught off guard.

“Anything else, or can I go?” she asked, daring him to challenge her.

“Keep this pass on you if you wanna leave. You can’t get back in without it, you hear me?” He shoved a map at her. “This’ll get you to Maz.”

“Got it,” Rey said, annoyed. 

The gate opened for her.

* * * * *

**Chautauqua Resort, New York State, 1921**

Padme reached around the corner of the Presbyterian House, peeking towards the direction of the forest. Nothing stirred, not one person in sight, nor wind blowing, nor leaf shaking. She moved towards the forest carefully, quiet even in her t-strap heels, until she realized that there was no sound echoing.   
  
"Ani?" She might as well have said nothing. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out. No one could know she was there unless they saw her.   
  
She ran full-speed until she got to the forest, then wound between the trees.   
  
"Finally," her voice whispered raggedy as she panted, somehow coming back oh so softly. She had reached the river. She couldn't see a cave, and she was worried that, without any magic, she would never be able to find Anakin. Until--  
  
"There!" Her voice had returned to its full volume, and she ran into the black night of the cave, not slowing until she saw a dim light illuminate Anakin's profile.   
  
"Ani!"   
  
"Padme. I told you not to come," Anakin said. His voice was harsh and unlike him. Anakin turned towards Padme and she saw a deep anger--no, a _hatred_\--in them that she had never seen before. Padme’s heart skipped a beat, and she grew afraid.  
  
"Anakin, come back! It's not safe here, we have to go!" pleaded Padme.   
  
But Anakin turned away from her sharply, disdainful and remote, and didn't reply.   
  
"Padme," called a smooth, cold voice from the shadows. "_Welcome_." 

**Author's Note:**

> Chautauqua is a real resort, founded all the way back in 1874. 
> 
> This is my first fic, so I hope you guys like it! Be kind to me.
> 
> My beta is my best friend, Tyrannus_Basilton_GrimmPitch on ao3 and she is the most lovely person ever to live! She continues to help me and make this an even more amazing story. Find her [ here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tyrannus_Basilton_GrimmPitch/pseuds/Tyrannus_Basilton_GrimmPitch).


End file.
